Brillié, No. 254, Type 1567.

A very rare early 20^th century French Electromechanical Regulator Clock by Brillié with a second’s pendulum, slave contacts, a thick variegated white marble backboard and a molded glazed mahogany case.

The silvered engraved chapter ring dial has Roman numerals for the hours, a concentric subsidiary seconds dial with Arabic numbers, steel Breguet- style hands, a sweep seconds bit and is signed ‘Electrique Brillié’

The movement is suspended from a massive bracket numbered ‘R254’, is powered by a 1.5V battery and has several star-wheels and detents that impulse the slave clocks and dictate impulses to drive the pendulum. The massive pendulum is suspended by a dual-spring suspension block with several screwed adjustments. The twin Invar rods support a massive brass spherical bob and magnet. When the clock is running the pendulum receives impulse from the coil as dictated by the detents above.

Early electromechanical clocks were designed to eliminate the negative influences of the power source on the accuracy of the clockwork while also allowing a single clock to transmit impulses to several slaves thus keeping a uniform time. Brillié was a huge influence in horology in France during the beginning of the 20^th century innovating in several areas including tower clocks and domestic and industrial horology.

This particular model would have been supplied to either an observatory or train station.

Derek Roberts